


one day we will be remembered

by forcynics



Series: vampire diaries ficathon fills [12]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Kissing, Multi, Pre-Series, childhood to teenagers, mixed feelings mixed signals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-02
Updated: 2011-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 04:26:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6141433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forcynics/pseuds/forcynics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert. Lockwood. Forbes. These names are every bit a part of the town as the buildings that have stood there for the past century and half.</p>
            </blockquote>





	one day we will be remembered

 

 

 

Gilbert. Lockwood. Forbes.

These names are every bit a part of the town as the buildings that have stood there for the past century and half. These names are important, these names are history, these names are defining – define _them_.

 

(Everyone knows that.)

 

 

 

Always some party or another, in honour of someone or another, and by six years old, they have seen enough to no longer be entranced by the fancy dresses and suits of their parents, the sparkling Shirley Temples that bubble down their throats, and all the laughing and smiling and celebrating.

Slipping away from their parents’ hands isn’t too hard, and they start to make their own pattern for these type of things, finding each other in the backyard, a biscuit or truffle in hand. They sit in the grass, special-occasion-outfits getting dirtied, shiny shoes getting scuffed, and they munch on their desserts and don’t even care. They make up stories, they laugh, and they see who spots the first star in the sky, and the next, and the next, until their parents come find them and it’s time to go home.

But there will always be another party, and with it another star.

 

(I wish I may, I wish I might.)

 

 

 

At school, they are normal (they like to think). There’s no real differentiation, except when there is, except when there’s a new Founders’ event being held, and the distinction between them and Matt and Bonnie and so many other classmates is freshly reminded, reinforced in everyone’s heads.

It’s not abnormal for kids to be proud of their family, to want to live up to their parents and grandparents, to hear story after story about their great-grandparents, their ancestors.

It’s not quite normal, though, when the entire town is always celebrating this with them: this, their family, _them_.

 

(“On this anniversary of the Founding of Mystic Falls...”)

 

 

 

A charity event – translation: another party at the Lockwoods. They’re starting to get older now, fourteen, the softness of their faces becoming slowly defined.

Tyler sneaks three beers and they hide out at the edge of the property, shoes kicked off, clothing ruffled. Caroline’s excitable, decides to show-off her newest cheerleading routine, and ends it with a childish cartwheel, flashing her pink underwear for a moment.

Her cheeks are flushed, her hair out-of-place, when she sticks the landing with a giggled “Ta-da!” and Tyler can’t help staring at her. Elena claps first, laughs at her friend, that laugh like no one else’s.

The sky gets darker and darker and they lie down in the grass, heads together, feet pointed off in equal directions. Tyler sees the first star, points it out, but doesn’t know what to wish for.

They’re interrupted by his mother, coming over to hiss at him to _get up_ and _she’s been looking all over for him, what does he think he’s doing out here?_ She drags him off to say hello to an old friend in a pretty dress with a sparkling drink, but his mind stays behind with cartwheels and laughter.

 

(Life is easier when you’re a kid.)

 

 

 

There’s almost an unspoken agreement between them: friends, always friends, and nothing more.

This doesn’t last.

Seven Minutes in Heaven lands Elena in the closet with Tyler one night, and there’s blushing and trailed-off sentences, confusion, and then finally her lips are on his and he’s wondering why in the world they never did this before, in all the years he’s known her.

She tastes like cinnamon, and she curls her fingers into his shirt slowly, uncertain. His hands trace her waist, settle there, and he pulls her closer to him.

The door’s finally yanked open, amidst laughs outside as they break away from each other, but it’s Caroline that’s opened the door, and she’s not laughing.

It’s okay, though. Later she kisses Tyler in the corner just to show that she can too. He thinks that she tastes sweeter, like bubblegum, and leaves with his head spinning, wonders if this means he has to choose. He doesn’t want to. Can't.

 

(Careful, Tyler. Choosing not to choose is still a choice.)

 

 

 

Tension at their sleepover that night, and it bubbles over: “You made-out with Tyler.”

“So did you!”

“That was a _game_.”

“Maybe it was a game for me too.”

“What kind of game is that, Caroline?”

“I don’t know.” She inches closer; her voice drops, shakes. “What kind of game is _this_?”

She kisses her, kisses her because when she finally ripped the closet door open, she didn’t know who she was more jealous of, and who she was angrier with.

Elena kisses her back for a second, pulls away an inch and shakes her head.

“It’s not a game.”

 

(Careful, Caroline. Games are only fun until someone gets hurt.)

 

 

 

 

“So which one do you like, Tyler? Gilbert or Forbes?” Everyone wants to know. _Gilbert or Forbes, Gilbert or Forbes_ – Elena or Caroline, he thinks. They’ve all been defined by their last names too much, more than anyone else understands.

_Which one do you like, Tyler? Which one, which one, which one?_

“Which one do you like, Tyler?”

He doesn’t know what to say when it’s Matt asking the question; Matt, who everyone thought would have ended up with Elena by now; Matt, who knows Elena far better than he does in some ways - he thinks that he knows another side of her, though, knows _that_ Elena far better than Matt does.

He never gets to make the choice. Elena asks Matt out later in the week – opts out of the competition or leaves him and Caroline to each other, he doesn’t know.

She just doesn’t want any part in what could tear them apart, chooses so that no one else has to – settles for neither.

 

(Careful, Elena. The heart wants what the heart wants.)

 

 

 


End file.
